Storm overcome slow start, wallop Fever

Breanna Stewart, who is tied for the league lead in scoring with 22.8 points per game, added 17 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for the WNBA-leading Storm (23-7), who won their fifth straight game.

Candice Dupree scored a game-high 22 points on 10-for-12 shooting for the cellar-dwelling Fever (5-24), which had its two-game winning streak snapped. It was the first time Indiana won consecutive games since May 20 and 24, 2017. Dupree also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and had three assists and two steals.

Victoria Vivians scored 15 points and Kelsey Mitchell had 14 for Indiana, which has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Point guard Sue Bird had 16 points and eight assists for the Storm, which has already clinched a playoff berth. Jewell Loyd, who starred at Notre Dame, scored 10.

Howard also had eight rebounds, four assists and two steals for Seattle, which is in the midst of a four-game trip. The Storm have games remaining at Washington and Minnesota and can clinch the league’s top playoff seed on the road.

The Storm bolted to an early 14-5 lead before Indiana went on a 13-0 run. The Fever led 27-22 after the first quarter.

But Seattle outscored the Fever 29-17 in the second quarter to take a 51-44 lead at the intermission and 25-16 in the third to extend the margin to 76-60 entering the final period.

Seattle, which averages a league-high 87.8 points per game, didn’t slow down Tuesday. The Storm shot 37-for-72 from the field (51.4 percent), including 9-for-23 from beyond the 3-point arc. Indiana shot 31-for-67 from the field (46.3 percent). Seattle forced 13 turnovers, while committing just nine.

Seattle swept the season series with Indiana, with the Storm also winning 72-63 on June 22 in Seattle and 92-72 on July 24 in Indianapolis.